Halloween 2016 - family of super heros!

I'm in shock that it's already Halloween!!!  How did it happen that October is over now and we are onto November?  This fall is flying by.

However, it sure doesn't feel like October in Kansas City.  With these hot temperatures, it's CRAZY! Do I dare say I'm almost looking forward to some cooler weather?

We are excited to trick or treat and go to a few neighbor's houses, but I'm guessing we won't be in our full family super hero attire.  Maddie decided she wanted to wear the Elsa dress instead of her Bat girl costume on Friday and Mikey's Robin costume is fleece - which I figured would be excellent considering it's usually freezing....not 80 degrees.  So we will see if I make him wear that.

Super hero's was an easy and obvious choice this year because they picked out their costumes in August when CostCo had them for sale.  Score.  And just order me, Jimmy and Mikey's costumes on Amazon and throw a dress up cape on Toby- done!!!  I actually had our cards ordered well in advance (impressive, right?) but of course didn't get around to addressing them super early. Oh well!!  Such is life!!

We used my new bluetooth phone clicker to take these family pictures ourselves...which is insane they actually turned out!!! :)

I then made the kiddos go inside and try to take ones of just the three of them.  ha.  Easier said than done!  

Poor Mikey though - was NOT a fan of his mini-mask at all.  I thought it was hilarious but so adorable.  I swear this kid melts my heart!

And here is our card from this year!

Seriously though, wishing you a very happy halllween!!!

What's so crazy is to look back at our card from past Halloweens and how different our kids look and how much they have grown up.  I seriously cannot belive it!  And to think that Mikey will be 15 months this time next year blows my mind!!!

2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 / 2011 / 2010 / 2009

Fri-YAY

You made it to the weekend (almost...a few more hours!)!!

{ONE}

I got to be the mom behind "takeover Tuesday" on the Kansas City Mom's blog instagram account on Tuesday.  I had so much fun posting about my day as a working mom of our 3 kiddos.  While I'm very happy that I don't have to post everything about my day EVERYDAY (I was somehow exhausted from doing it - or maybe it was just from the day in general), it was so fun to interact with the KCMB followers and get tips from them and share insight.

While sometimes the world of social media can be so negative, I loved being a part of that day and the mommas in KC interacting with me. Very happy to be a part of that contributor team.  Here is a glimpse of the pictures I posted!

{TWO}

Last weekend we ventured back to Lawrence for the KU Homecoming game.  Yes, they are terrible.  Yes, I went to K-State.  But even though my heart it with the Wildcats, the fact that this is 20 minutes down the highway, tickets were $9 each just for Jimmy and I (yes, they are THAT bad) and we get to spend time with neighbors and family is something I cannot pass up.  

We always have a blast and seriously - our kids just love it.  Maddie is OBSESSED with the marching band.  Literally obsessed.  We now watch the Ohio State marching band regularly on You Tube.  I love it.

And teh good news is - traveling with three is getting more manageable.  However, once Mikey is on the go and moving - life = over! Haha!

{THREE}

My friend, Vanessa, likes to fuel my online shopping with her vidoes she posts for How Does She every Monday!  This Monday she posted these adorable booties that have a shorter heel.  I have ones that I love, but I've found I like those for occasions where I have to walk less and not chase my children.  And better yet, they were on sale AND on Amazon Prime.  Done.

I got them yesterday and can't wait to put to good use!  Thanks for the recommendation, Vanessa!

{FOUR}

In just a few weeks, we are leaving all three kiddos for the first time and heading down south to a wedding that Jimmy is in.  His friend from college is getting married in Houston and while the logistics of getting family to watch our kids Thursday - Sunday is not easy and the thought of being away from Mikey for 3 days literally breaks my heart....I'm also looking forward to some good quality time with my husband.  

The wedding is black tie though - so I need to make sure I get a little fancy!!  Of course, I immediately go to Amazon to shop because why not.  I have bought some other dresses off of there for cheap and they were perfect.  I was thinking I needed a long more formal dress like this one...

But Jimmy is saying that I need a short dress!  Thoughts?  Black tie appropriate attire?? (also - I will have to pump in this, so keep that in mind!)

{FIVE}

Today is a day of Halloween parties!!!  Two of them.  Our kid's parties at school are the same exact time as the party my work has every year for everyone's kids.  BUMMER.  However, I left the option up to my kids and both of them made it very clear they wanted to come into my work (because apparently that is super cool!).  However, as we have drawn nearer to the day of their party, I'm nervous with all the excitement and preparation at school they are not going to want to leave.  Jimmy is going to gather all 3 and then bring them to my work, so I'm hopeful for no meltdowns about leaving their party!  Sad to miss seeing the parade with friends and activities in their classes - but I'm really excited for them to come in and show all my coworkers just really how adorable they are :)  Haha, hopefully they behave!!  Here is a picture preview of their outfits this year.

However, Maddie pulled an audible this morning and said she wanted to wear her Elsa costume instead of Bat Girl.  Go figure!  Wasn't a fight I was going to have, so she'll be princessed up today!

Hope everyone has a great pre-Halloween weekend!!!

PS Where has the month of October gone?  For reals.

Linking up with:

Sept Farm | Oh hey Friday!

A. Liz Adventures | Five on Friday

Momfessionals | Friday Favorites

Pink Antlers: DIY wooden sign

I posted a while back on a Five on Friday about some DIY signs that I wanted to do - one was a true DIY (that I still have yet to do...) but the other I completed at a workshop at Pink Antlers studio in Park Place (in Leawood by Town Center). 

First of all - look at this completely ADORABLE storefront.  Holy cow - it is seriously the cutest store I've ever seen (I found this pic on their facebook page and now I think I need to go back ASAP!).  It's just as cute on the inside! 

Ok, back to to the actual event that I attended.  It was awesome and hosted by Create Sabetha.  They are two ladies from the hometown of the owners and were awesome. They had everything laid out and ready and were so helpful!!!

I convinced my friend and neighbor Christine to come along and we loved it- besides the fact we are both perfectionists and had a hard time "rolling with" the measurements that didn't have to be perfect!!!

They also encouraged you to BYOB!!  I dropped the ball on this one because I was running all over before and so was Christine but next time I'm bringing a cooler of the Boulevard Orange cranberry radler!

So we had to peel off the letters, put the stencils on contact paper to get it to stick just right.  Then we painted the letters.  Then flip to the other side.  The first side we did was HARD because of lining everything up and learning how to get the contact paper down, but that made the other side way easier!!

When I got home later that night and it had dried-- I pulled off the stencils and wah-lah! Finished product.  Here is a look at the finished results and as I was pulling them off.

Here is the other side!! I love this for fall and all year long.  I'm looking for the perfect spot in my house though...I know there is one!!!

Seriously though- Pink Antlers has so many fun workshops and amazing and fun products in there shop.  If you are in KC- check them out!!  They even have make your own invitations.  These ladies are here to help the uncrafty people like me!!

(PS - this is all my personal review and I was not at all compensated!! I paid for the workshop and loved every dollar that I spent and will do another one too!!)

Three months old now!

BIG MIKE!!  Three months old!

(A little late on the post but I actually took the picture a day early! Go me!)

Length: ??

Weight: 14lbs 8oz 

Head: ??

Three months.  A fourth of the way to one year old.  I know, I know, that's jumping ahead - but seriously.  Three kids in...I can tell you for a fact that first year FLIES by and then the time just keeps flying and goes so fast.  Especially kid #3 when we are running here and there!!!  Before I know it...I'll be looking back on this first year and then second and third and on...!!

This kid is just the CUTEST.  I love this age so much.  He's getting so much more fun.  When you talk to him, he "talks" back by ooing and gooing at you.  His gummy smile melts my heart.  And it really makes me so happy to see him after work.  He's the only little boy at Miss Marie's and I can tell that he has already won her heart over.  Just his sweet smile and demeanor!!!

Milestones:

• Smiling, laughing and loving life
• I wish I had more time for tummy time - but I feel like I'm not with you enough to do this...but we are moving up in the world and hanging in the bumbo now AND busted out the bouncers!
• Sleep is still amazing.  Soaking it up for as long as I can because that 4 month sleep regression I know is #nofun
• Still sleeping in the crib and loving your room!
• Most 3 months and 3-6 month clothes now.  I need to go get the next container of clothes for you because now that it's getting cold...we need some new long sleeves and pants.
• Size 2 diapers - usually we are Pampers people...but have tried Aldi and Huggies.  Aldi was great (and cheap!) but not a fan of huggies
• Oh man, is cradle cap a milestone??  Well check that off if it is!
• No full out laughing, but some giggles and they are amazing
• Started DAYCARE!  Mom went back to work when you were 11 weeks old and you headed to get some loving every day with Miss Marie

Things you like:

• A great eater - loves to drink that milk any way. 
• Loves the nap nanny (from Charlie's baby times) that we busted out
• Bath time!  Getting lotion on after bath....and when I rub your sweet little head
• You still love Charlie and Maddie and they still love you SO much.  It's the best
• When someone focuses all their attention on your and talks - you always smile and laugh and make great eye contact
• Getting carried around - love the baby carrier and don't mind our car seat at all

Things you don't like:

• Gas is getting better - which is great!
• You don't like being put down by dad when he's carrying you around.  He just wants to watch a football game with you....but yeah, you don't! Ha!
• Overall, you're a pretty happy little man

Special memories:

• Lots more fun this month!!  
• We went to the Renaissance Festival for a work event for dad ---- right before we had our last experience with indoor soccer.  Which you were always a trooper for...your siblings, not so much!
• We got to meet baby Logan!
• Went to Aquinas homecoming BBQ and you had your first experience with the photo booth!
• You survived a trip to the dentist with your older siblings - ha!
• Day care - it was bittersweet, but you are doing amazing and we just love Ms Marie.  She's amazing and you love her!
• Went to the pumpkin patch AND to Jefferson's (in Lawrence) for the first time!
• Attended the fall festival at church and saw your first fireworks!
• Had some more fall fun at the neighborhood event!
• Continued to get loving from all your cousins and grandparents and siblings - you are one loved little man!!!!

A note to our sweet boy:

It's been quite the month and we are still just loving you so much.  It's crazy to think that you're three months old already.  In three more months you'll be SIX months.  AHHHHHH!  It's impossible to imagine our family without your adorableness.  Charlie and Maddie cannot get enough of you and neither can we.  Nighttime is a bit crazy, but you love the one on one time that mom gives you then (dad gets the crazy older kids!).  You're growing so much and while it was so sad to lose our time together (I miss it!), I know you're being well taken care of and picking you up is what I look forward to all day long. Our whole family thrives on a routine, so it's nice to be in one with you finally.

Keep up this adorableness, good sleeping and eating and we will all be happy!!

Love,

Your mom (and dad)

**************************************************************

Just for fun - here is Charlie and Maddie's three month side by side picture.

Charlie is SO smiley!  I couldn't quite get Mikey to smile in his - however, I did have some crazy helpers trying to get him to smile - and refusing to leave the picture!

Being three months old is exhausting....

Some fun from the last month:

Playing in the bouncer!

Attack of Maddie cakes...

Who is who???

Best smile!

Best big sister...

When you throw up during church...!!!

First day back to work!

Rolling with his people!

Yes this happened!

So handsome!

Three amigos. 

First day to daycare!

Almost everyday...poor Mikey!

Love him!!!

Love this sweet baby boy so much and cannot believe how fast these three months have flown by.  So thankful for him and his personality and sweet kisses!

PS I have YET to post his newborn pictures OR his birth story.  In the works because I will forget all the details soon enough!

Soaking in the weekend

Lists, early wake ups, kisses goodbye and hugs hello.  That's what our weekdays look like now that I'm back to work.  It was a pretty amazing 11 weeks off...and while we are all adjusting...going back to work makes the weekends that much sweeter for all of us.

There was a whole lot of this going on.

Which I love!!!  Maddie is a little momma to Mikey. 

We decided indoor soccer wasn't our thing...so we made our own outdoor soccer fun Saturday morning.

Pretty sure Jimmy and I had more fun kicking the ball to each other, showing off our "skills" and chasing after Maddie and Charlie trying to get them to dribble than our kids did.

That might have been because a huge playground was tempting them....

It was a gorgeous fall morning and it was so nice to be outside and soaking in the cooler weather (but not too cool!).  My mom and dad came and met us too since one of our favorite parks is right by their house...gotta love some nana and papa park time!  I'm not sure who leaves more exhausted!

When we got home...I busted out the rusty baby gear sitting in the basement for this little guy.  One because let's just say that time hop when your kid's birthdays are all within a few weeks of each other (2 years apart...) it makes for an easy reminder at what stage the other kid was in at this time.  

So when I saw this old picture of Charlie come up from 4 years ago...

Mikey got to have his own fun!!  He did ok and it's hard to believe he's big enough for this already (well kind of- he has a pillow underneath his legs!)

Saturday after naps our older kiddos went over to nana and papa's house for a slumber party.  My mom has been asking and when the kids started saying they were wanting to go - there done and done!!  And Jimmy and I went grocery shopping, out to eat and to Walmart with Mikey.  Relishing in the days when we just had one kid one second and then missing our older two kids like crazy.  Even though it wasn't very glamorous, it reminds me just how great this guy is and thankful for time with him to have some meaningful conversations!

But I did get to eat this delicious blackened shrimp salad which is my new favorite and I'm wondering why I can't whip something like this up of my own.  Looks like 1.5 greens (maybe 2!), one red, 1/2 yellow (corn) and an orange.  (Can you tell I'm trained in beachbody container eating??!)

Sunday morning, little Mikey slept in because he's the #bestbabyever and then we all went out to breakfast.  I went into work for a few hours while Jimmy held down the fort and Maddie napped because #grandparenthangovers are real.  She seriously took a 4 hour nap!!

While the Chiefs played at 3:30, we got ready for that and our neighborhood Halloween/fall party.  

Everyone wears a Jamal Charles jersey under their Elsa dress, right??

Love these girls on the mom's council that I'm lucky enough to call neighbors.  Fun crafts, snacks and candy!!  And super fun games this year too!!

Even better--- fun with friends!! I can imagine these three boys will be up to no good someday!!

We celebrated a beautiful night with dinner on the patio and mini ice cream cones.  And we sat there laughing at Charlie and Maddie and talking with our neighbors.  Wondering how we got so damn lucky.  Seriously, weekends like that are nothing special but everything I need.  Laundry, lists, meal prep, cleaning up--- all baked in there.  But it's all worth it.

Hope you had a great one too!! 

October weekend fun and Pumpkin patch 2016 trip

Oh my - October is here and what a first week of October it has been for our family!!

First things first.  Never take 3 kids to the dentist alone.  Ever.

Second, after our adventure on Monday with the big kids and then a quiet (last) afternoon together, Tuesday morning, I went with Jimmy and dropped this little man off at daycare.  He is going to an in-home and the lady watching him is just amazing.  And my new favorite.  She is a little older than my parents and has been watching kiddos for over 40 years now.  I love going to pick him up because she feels like a grandma...she is asking me how my day is, telling me about his day, etc.  His first day he did great (me not so much..but I kept busy...and then the next day I went to work!)

\

While Mikey was at daycare, I finished painting the table that is going in the nursing room at my work to put my pump on and my bag underneath - Jimmy put it together for me and it looks amazing!!

And I made 8 freezer meals with some chicken breasts I got on sale (more about those recipes on my fitness blog here).

And then guess what?  Wednesday, October 5 came and I got up, worked out, got ready, packed up my stuff and the kids stuff and went to work for the first time in 11 weeks!

And thank goodness I do not drop off everyday....because I would be a mess.  Again, thank God for Jimmy in my life.  Walking out the door at home versus dropping them off is so much easier.  And it helps that I love my job and my coworkers and there is PLENTY to keep me busy and distracted at work.

So yeah.   Wednesday - Friday we went back to the grind and I quickly remembered how much I am literally TIED to the pump.  Sheesh.  Worth it, but always pumping it feels like!!

On Friday, my sweet grandma that we just visited last month turned NINETY!!!  It also marked three years since we said goodbye to my sweet grandpa (her husband).  While we didn't get to be there to celebrate with her, we did get to Facetime with her since my dad was up there and we sent her a pretty fun photo book with some pictures of the kids and pictures of our visit.  My dad said she loved it and I'm SOOO glad!

Saturday morning, we headed out to our annual pumpkin patch trip with the Matlock family.  It's crazy to think that our first trip in 2012, we only had Jack and Charlie and look at this motley crew now!  We love Schaake's Pumpkin Patch just outside of Lawrence because it's not super crowded (especially if you get there early), it's free, plenty of stuff to do AND we always take our crew to eat on Mass Street after.  Awesome!  I won't detail you the drama in getting there (we were 40 minutes late - sorry Emily!).  From forcing people to get dressed, getting lost, just a typical morning in the Carter house...crazy chaos right?

This girl though.  Completely melts my heart.  Even if she is a little crazy.  Crazy good.

Afterwords, we went to Jefferson's and while I did enjoy a few fried pickles, I didn't eat wings there.  AHHHH!  I know.  It wasn't because I didn't want the fried wings...it was because the blue cheese dressing is really what I love and with avoiding dairy due to breastfeeding- I figured I might as well just eat a salad.  And guess what?  It was delicious!

Kids woke up from naps and it was time to try out the new toy that Jimmy found on Craigslist for Charlie.  Long story short, a boy down the street had this car and Charlie loved it so Jimmy decided to hunt for it for a Christmas present.  You read that right...Christmas.  Yeah.  Well, he found it for like $60 and got it and of course (in true Jimmy fashion), he was so excited and gave it to Charlie early.  SUCH a sucker.  But the good news is - they completely loved it.  Duh, why wouldn't they!?  In the mean time, Mikey and I chilled in the shade.

Love this little man!

Around dinner time, we headed up to our church for the annual fall festival that is always SOOOOOO fun.  This year it was even better!  They had 3 bounce houses, so many fun games, hamburgers and hot dogs, trunk or treat, petting zoo...and ended the night with FIREWORKS.  It's always a hit or miss with fireworks for our crew, but Charlie told us he could handle them this year.  And while Maddie was double fisting her suckers...we all enjoyed the awesome fireworks.  So happy that our neighbors came with us too - they have a little boy that is the same age as Maddie and they had a blast too!

Sunday, I was up and at em to get in my yoga work out - because I was hoping for a little bit of quiet time (you know, deep breathing, relaxation, yoga...).  But these kiddos popped in and wanted to join in my fun.  I swear - they crack me up.

Before church - this little lovie was all over her little brother.  I'm not kidding, she melts my heart when she's this sweet.

Mikey decided to puke all over himself and me at church...so he got naked in the church bathroom.  #babylife

After church we split up.  Jimmy took Charlie to urgent care as he's had a nasty cough for like 2 weeks now (turned out an upper respiratory infection) and then me and Maddie and Mikey went to Aldi.  At least we just needed the basics. After lunch and naps (Maddie took a long nap...while the two boys took cat naps while I folded the bizillion loads of laundry...see pic!) we headed over to Jimmy's parents house for some awesome beef stew and homemade rolls!  And brought the Lightning McQueen car (of course).

(He really is happy!!)

It was a fun weekend.  I'm a little in denial that I have to go back to work FIVE days a week.  Sheesh!  I hope I will make it.  I know I will but I'm exhausted just thinking about it!  Hope you had a great weekend too- cheers to October week #2.